


One Small Leap

by rowanle



Series: Venezia [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Antonio is tired of these two flirting all the time get a room, Fluff, Is it Hurt/Comfort?, M/M, Pining, Rewrite, ezio overcome with the sudden urge to kiss his bro on the lips, he does not tho, i don’t know things, i guess, im bad at making people actually get together and not just pine until they die, oh they really do be doing that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26025298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowanle/pseuds/rowanle
Summary: Somewhat of a rewrite of the story of Ezio, Leonardo, and the crashing and burning of a perfectly good flying machine.
Relationships: Ezio Auditore da Firenze/Leonardo da Vinci
Series: Venezia [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891327
Kudos: 35





	1. Before

He gives two short knocks to the wooden door as Antonio waits nervously beside him.

“Are you sure Signore Leonardo, can help us? He is a painter, no?”

Ezio is about to turn to the man before the door opens, revealing Leonardo. The genius smiles brightly at Ezio before noticing the other man, “Ezio! And ah... Signore Antonio, what are you two doing here?”

How does he know—nevermind.

“Leonardo, may we come in?” Ezio looks between all three of them.

Leonardo’s face scrunches up in concentration, as if he has encountered a rather complex codex page. He quickly steps aside and ushers the pair on.

“Yes, yes of course, are you alright, Ezio?”

Ezio and Antonio step into the workshop, careful to avoid disturbing anything strewn about.

The assassin gives a small huff and a smile, “I am fine, Leonardo,” The artist visibly relaxes at this, “only in need of your assistance with a plan I and” —Ezio pauses to gesture to the thief— “Antonio here have.”

Leonardo pauses at this before smiling warmly, “Anything you need, amico mio.”

Ezio pauses as he looks around the room and— there it is.

“Your machine...does it work?”

Leonardo blinks owlishly, “My—?” His eyes follow Ezio’s line of sight, trying to make sense of the question. Suddenly, they widen in realization and he looks to Ezio.

“Can it fly?” Ezio continues. Antonio looks on, confused and arms crossed.

Leonardo scratches his chin, “I am unsure,” he walks slowly over to the flying machine, currently draped in sackcloth. He places his hand on the side of it, “it should work... theoretically...”

“Theoretically...?” Ezio encourages.

“Well...” the artist starts, “I cannot simply... test it! Who would be foolish enough to... to jump off the top of a tower—“ Leonardo cuts himself off as he looks toward Ezio. The assassin crosses his arms and smirks.

“Leonardo...” Ezio starts. Leonardo stares, silent, a battle clearly shown across his face: one between his want to test his invention and the inherent knowledge that letting your friend jump off a high building is a very, very bad idea.

Antonio looks between the two of them, still a bit confused, but mostly just amused.

Ezio steps closer, gesturing to the invention, “I can be the fool who tries it, amico mio.”

Leonardo continues to stare, conflicted.

Finally, he relents and his shoulders sag, “Fine, Ezio, yes.” His friend jumps off buildings all the time. That is... not actually a very relieving thought.

Ezio brightens up and reaches to pat Leonardo lightly on the shoulder.

“Well then, we better get started,” he turns to Antonio, “You will need to help me drag this thing up the nearest tower,” Ezio gestures to the covered machine.

Antonio nods, “And you might actually explain what it is this all is for while I do.”

Ezio laughs.

———————

The machine is... rather odd. It looks like wings, but it is also some type of... apparatus he hangs on to. Is he positioned correctly? Ezio looks to Leonardo, who is busily doing... something with all that stuff he brought up,on the other side of the tower’s rooftop.

“And the wind is coming from that direction so that means the most optimal way to set off is— oh but...” the artist mumbles quickly as he scribbles tirelessly in his little journal.

“Leonardo...?” Ezio ventures, causing the man to snap his head up quickly.

“Ah, what, Ezio? What is it?”

Ezio gestures to himself, “Is this how I am suppose to hold on to this?”

Leonardo looks at him up and down, pauses, then reaches over to adjust Ezio’s posture ever so slightly, “Yes, just right, Ezio,” he turns his head, “Now, ideally, you should be able to take a simple running start then leap, and start flying. By using the controls, you can either flap the wings or—“

Ezio cuts his friend off as he gets out from under the machine, “Yes, Leonardo, I understand. You’ve briefed me several times.” He tilts his head, “Are you alright, amico mio, you have seemed rather... nervous.”

Leonardo pauses with his hands still up in the air from some forgotten gesture, “Oh I am perfectly fine, Ezio, I only wished to make sure you would know everything you needed to once you were—“ he pauses to look out over the edge, “Up.”

“Up.” Ezio says, popping the “p”, somewhat unimpressed.

Leonardo points at the sky, nodding, “Up.”

Ezio crosses his arms, “Are you worried about me, Leonardo?” This causes the artist to tense up a bit. Bingo. Ezio uncrosses his arms and places both hands on his friend’s shoulders, “I jump from heights far greater than this daily, amico mio, you need not be scared.”

Those perfect words of reassurance apparently do not soothe Leonardo, as he only gets an even more concerned look on his face.

Leonardo tilts his head, “Ezio, my friend, you need to work on your assurances.”

The assassin laughs, small and light, “Perhaps so, Leonardo, but you need not be afraid. Your invention will not hurt me; far tougher opponents have tried to no avail.” He releases his hands from his friend and turns.

Leonardo, for his part, looks somewhat abashed, “I did not mean to undermine your own capabilities. I suppose... sometimes, it is hard to—,” he pauses, seemingly reaching into his mind for the right words, “...understand it all without having seen it first-hand.”

Ezio nods, “No harm done,” the assassin flashes a somewhat rare genuine smile, “Thank you for caring, Leonardo.” The artist turns his face away as he flushes.

Ezio turns back to the machine, clapping his hands together, “Now, how about we start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I don’t write things, this isn’t beta’ed, I am just stupid idiot who draws so I don’t have to describe stuff with words.
> 
> Most of my issues with the writing of the game can be summed up as “everything is too fast” and this whole part with Leonardo in game is definitely... impacted by that.
> 
> But also I make everything too slow (this being evident in that chapter count) so. Who’s the real clown here


	2. During

“It flew! It really flew!” Leonardo starts after he checks Ezio for any wounds, finding none, to his surprise.

Ezio rubs the back of his neck as he stands up from a bench in the workshop, “It flew directly into the ground, yes.”

Leonardo takes a second to look sheepish before he reassures with animated gestures as he looks over his notes, “The machine was not designed for distance, Ezio, I don’t yet know how to—“

The pair turn to the door as a few loud knocks sound against it before Antonio rushes in, somewhat winded, with a few of his thieves in step behind him.

“Ezio the—the poison. He has found a supplier. It is only a matter of time before the Doge is murdered,” Antonio looks between the two of them, “Does the flying machine work?”

Ezio immediately tenses before he looks to Leonardo, then back to Antonio, frustration clear on his face, “We may need to come up with another plan, Antonio.”

The man in question stands back, staring, “Another plan?” He gestures, “We have no time and all other options have been exhausted, there _is_ no other plan!”

Ezio steps back, upset and nervous, “Then I do not know what to do, this—this... _thing_ ,” he gestures to the machine as he runs his hands through his hair, “it can’t go far enough—“

Leonardo rubs at his temples. Think, he must _think._ Surely there is a way to maintain enough height for the machine to—.

The artist rushes to his notes. The optimal height for— no. He crumples it up and throws it. The span of the wings should be— _no!_ He slams it down on the table. Note after note after note and there is nothing helpful. The machine flew! It worked but not well enough. Ezio needs his help he must figure something out.

Ezio notices the frantic rustling of paper as he and Antonio talk out their frustrations. He sees Leonardo, mumbling to himself, and quite frustrated, the most upset he thinks he has ever seen the man.

Ezio frowns and takes quick strides to the man.

“Leonardo,” he begins quietly, one hand placed on the desk, “It is fine if it is impossible, I will find another way, you have done enough.”

Leonardo takes one second from his reverie to look to Ezio, “I... but if only I could—could,” he rubs at his forehead, “I can’t— _think!”_ The artist shakes his head.

Ezio steps back, unsure. Leonardo is perhaps the most intelligent man Ezio has ever met and yet here he is, completely upset he cannot give the assassin actual honest to god wings that can fly like the birds in the skies. Ezio would laugh at the thought if he weren’t also so worried.

Ezio looks to Leonardo’s shaking hands, and decides quickly in the moment, to take them and hold them. He brings their hands together and looks at the artist, the man’s whole body now shaking. The assassin attempts his most comforting face possible, trying to tell his friend through his eyes that everything is fine. Even if it’s not.

“Leonardo, look at me, please,” At this, the artist looks up at him, “You have done plenty, amico mio. You have done much more than anyone else ever could.”

The shaking begins to subside as Ezio starts rubbing circles on the artist’s hands. Leonardo breathes and nods his head.

Ezio slowly releases the man’s hands, and smiles, “Never has a man flown before, even for such a short distance. I have only ever seen small objects, like those ah—“ Ezio scratches his chin, “Those floating lanterns, yes?”

Suddenly, Leonardo grasps Ezio’s shoulders, “That’s it!”

Ezio, for his part, shocks very little, “What...?”

Leonardo shakes Ezio, “Those lanterns float because of the fire lit inside of them! If we could light a fire underneath you as you fly, you could stay in the air for much longer!” Leonardo’s smile is blinding, and his grip surprisingly strong before he releases the assassin to go back to his notes.

Ezio frowns, thinking, “But how could we do such a thing? We would need someone following underneath me the entire time—“

Antonio steps forward, “Or we would need many fires throughout the city. My men could do that for us.”

Ezio frowns in concentration, “That—that could work.”

Leonardo looks up at the pair as he finishes sketching something out, “Well, back to work then?” He smiles right at Ezio.

—————

Night falls over the city as Leonardo, Ezio, and Antonio stand ready to begin. The fires have been lit throughout the city, the machine has been repaired from their earlier mishap, and Ezio feels something like pride in his heart... or anticipation.

Leonardo looks to him, “Everything seems to be in place, you need only begin,” He nods, “and Ezio, remember the switches on the—“

Ezio raises his hand, smiling, “I know, Leonardo,” he reaches over to the man, and embraces him, “thank you, amico mio.”

Leonardo returns the hug cautiously, “Be safe, Ezio.”

After a few seconds, Ezio pulls backs and moves his hands onto the man’s shoulders, “I will be as safe as any man can be,” He turns his face to the machine, smirking slightly, “Especially considering this contraption was made by the great maestro Leonardo da Vinci.”

The artist’s eyes widen as he takes on an embarrassed flush.

They both release each other as Ezio turns fully to the flying machine.

He positions himself into it, and takes off.

Antonio, for his part, is attempting not to show his amusement at these two fools overtly flirting right in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unbeta’ed as usual
> 
> Also I apologize for the lack of Leonardo’s famous “just kick the archers when you get close” and Ezio’s “nice >:)”
> 
> It didn’t really fit into what I had written so just like... assume in this uhhh.. universe? That the godly lines are uttered while they’re fixing up the machine and planning.
> 
> Also the lanterns, aka the kongming lantern... I don’t know how well known they were by this time. History is not my strong suit but they were invented long before so //shrugs. This is literally an assassins creed fanfic shipping a fictional character with Leonardo da Vinci so, idk. It’s what it is


	3. After

Ezio can hear the city guards yelling, searching, as he weaves throughout the alleyways of the city. He is glad Venezia and its canals are no longer as much of a stranger to him as they once were, otherwise, the men chasing him might have caught him by now.

He is not sure where to go, where to hide, but it seems his feet know, as he gradually becomes closer and closer to a familiar brick building, standing tall before him. Leonardo’s workshop. Ezio hadn’t even realized he had been heading in this direction, the pounding of his boots and his heart being louder than his own thoughts as he had run.

He pauses, and the shouting grows louder.

“Merde,” he mutters. He looks to either side before making a decision, and quickly opens and closes the unlocked door (Really Leonardo, are you not worried someone will break in? The man smiles at him, bright like the sun. Will that person be you? He asks in turn.)

The assassin breathes heavily. His body sags slightly as the adrenaline leaves his system. He closes his eyes and rubs at his face before he hears a small gasp, his name uttered like a prayer, and rustling clothes.

Ezio pulls himself up a bit before opening his eyes, revealing Leonardo’s worried expression. The assassin gives a slanted smile as the artist slings one arm around his shoulder and directs Ezio over to a bench to sit down.

Leonardo kneels before him, frantically checking for wounds, “Ezio, what... what happened? I heard the Doge had been murdered—“

“I failed,” Ezio begins, frustrated and upset, but holding still to let Leonardo look him over, “I had only arrived just after the poison had been administered. The guards—and now everyone—think I did it, so I am now the most wanted man in Venezia.” He attempts a small lopsided smile as he looks to Leonardo, but it falls short of anything but pained.

The artist looks at Ezio, tilting his head. Worry fills his eyes. He puts one hand on Ezio’s shoulder, rubs it lightly, and Ezio leans in, tired and... scared, Leonardo realizes. So, he reaches to hug the assassin, caressing the back of the man’s head with one hand, gently carding his hand through Ezio’s hair.

“I am sorry, Ezio, if only I had—“

Ezio gives a weak chuckle, “Your flying machine worked perfectly, Leonardo...” Ezio leans in further to the embrace, letting his head rest on Leonardo’s shoulder. He is tired, far more than he should be, or wishes he were, “I...was too slow, and now I have even more of a mess to clean up.” Leonardo listens quietly as he continues slowly motioning through Ezio’s hair. Ezio quite likes the feeling, the comfort and warmth brought about by it.

The assassin turns his head slightly, sighing, “I need to act fast but the guards will likely be on high alert for days.”

Leonardo suddenly pauses brushing through Ezio’s hair and he almost feels like complaining before the painter begins, “Well, it is Carnevale. You could wear a mask.”

Ezio pulls back suddenly, “Leonardo you are a genius!” The assassin puts both his hands on either side of his friend’s face, about to kiss him on the forehead. He pauses for a second, eyes drifting down to the man’s lips—what if he...? He blinks briefly, flicks his eyes back up, and gives Leonardo a brief peck on the forehead, like he had intended.

Ezio releases the poor man, revealing a tomato red face and wide eyes, before getting up from the bench, energized, as he brings his mind back to a potential new plan.

The assassin begins pacing, ideas already forming in his mind before he realizes he is missing the key element here. He looks back to his friend. “Ah—Leonardo...might you have a mask I could borrow?”

“Hm?” Leonardo looks up at Ezio, still red and eyes a bit unfocused. He blinks a few times, as if needing to restart his own thoughts, before he stands up as well, “Yes, yes, of course, Ezio.” 

The artist strides over to a small chest and flips it open.

“I have to admit, I have been quite excited for Carnvale! The stories of the dancing and masks—how exciting!” He rummages through while mumbling to himself, searching. Ezio notices that Leonardo tends to tilt his head back and forth animatedly while thinking or excited. It is rather... endearing. Almost like he can hear the rhythm of the man’s thoughts.

“—Ah, here it is! I had actually made a few masks, including one with you in mind—“ Ezio hears a cough. “I hope it is to your tastes.” Leonardo turns to look at Ezio, smiling in a way the assassin’s mind cannot help but supply as being breathtaking. Ezio blinks, and uncrosses his arms (when had he crossed them?) before striding over and lifting the mask from Leonardo’s hands.

Ezio is not a good judge of... masks. But he likes it. It is not excessively gaudy and, although it would not completely cover his face, it would obscure enough. He smiles.

“Thank you, Leonardo.” The assassin reaches over to hug his friend, “For everything.” And he hopes he manages to convey just how much that meant and for what he was thanking his friend for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeehaw. Anyway. Might go crazy and write a carnevale fic. Maybe they’ll even actually get together in that one, Who knows.
> 
> I do like my pining tho so. And Ezio is how do u say. Ezio


End file.
